Amoretto
by Alyssa86InMN
Summary: A series of one-shots that come to me. 10: AU Caskett meeting. We had a one night stand last night and today you appear at my parents conference because your kid is in my class (This one is high T).
1. Chapter 1

Kate pulled out a little black dress that after six months of hard work she could finally fit in again.

Castle loved her in the dress because it was cut short and revealing and left little to the imagination.

"You don't think this is a little slutty for a mom, do you?" Kate asked Castle, as she turned this way and that in the full-length mirror.

"You know I love when you are a little slutty." He responded, coming up behind her and encircling her in his arms.

"You say that now, but when I get hit on by some strange guy I'm sure you'll have a different opinion." Kate turned in his arms and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "We should get going. Lanie and Espo are expecting us at the club."

Kate quickly picked up the stilettos she chose earlier from beside the bed and made her way to the living room. Castle followed.

"My, my Katherine, you look stunning!" Martha exclaimed when she saw her daughter-in-law.

"Thank you, Martha. We really appreciate you watching Finn for us."

Kate took a seat on the couch next to Martha who was holding the littlest Castle bundled close to her. Kate slipped on her shoes and leaned over to her son who was gazing up at her.

"Goodbye my sweet baby boy. Mommy loves you so much." Kate cooed as she stroked his cheek and then kissed his forehead.

"Don't worry about a thing, Darling. Finn and I will have a wonderful time while you two go out on the town. You deserve a night enjoying each other again."

"Shall we go, Kate? Our boy will still be here when we come back." Castle stated, holding out his hand for his wife.

Kate hesitated, worry written into her face. She bit her lip and finally leaned down and kissed the baby again before taking Castle's proffered hand.

"Bye Mother. I'll try to keep her from calling at every moment." Castle called as he and Kate left the loft.

"Did you want a drink while we wait for Lanie and Espo?" Castle asked as they stood off to the side of dance floor.

"Could you get me a club soda with lime? Thanks Babe."

Kate swayed with the music minding her own business while she waited for Castle to come back. Not ten seconds after he left did a sleazy looking man approach Kate.

"Hey Baby, what's a beautiful woman like you doing all alone over here?"

"I'm waiting for my husband actually." Kate held up her left hand to reveal her wedding rings.

"I know how you ladies like to wear fake engagement rings when you really are available." The man leaned in closer. Kate backed away in disgust. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Considering I am breastfeeding at the moment, I don't think that would be a good idea." Kate said bluntly, hoping the man would get put off enough to leave.

Unfortunately, it did not work and the man started to reach out for Kate. Kate reacted quickly twisting the guy's arm behind his back as he cried in pain.

"I'm a cop, so if you want some action there is a jail cell and a very friendly inmate with your name on it."

"Kate, what's going on?" Castle asked rushing up to her while carrying the drinks.

Kate let the man go and said, "Oh hello Rick. This guy wasn't taking no for an answer, so I showed him how serious I was." She hooked her arm around her husband's and led him away from the scene before he could get protective, glaring at the man as they walked off.

"Are you okay?" Castle asked.

"I am so very glad I am not single anymore." Kate smiled up at him, giving his forearm a squeeze as she took her club soda from him.

Lanie and Espo arrived a little while later and the couples decided to let loose on the dance floor for a little bit. Lanie and Espo were getting very into the upbeat music and kept getting closer and closer throughout the night. After several songs, Kate pulled Castle to the side for a break.

"I'm worried about him, Rick." Kate admitted.

"Of course you are. This is your first time leaving him with someone other than me. Did you want to call Mother and check-in?"

"Can we leave actually? I really miss him."

Castle smiled tenderly at her bringing a hand to her cheek. "I'll do whatever you want to do."

"Let's get out of here."

Kate and Castle entered the loft half an hour later. Martha was sitting on the couch reading a magazine and looked up when they walked in.

"How was your night out?"

"We had fun, but Kate really wanted to come back to be with Finn."

"How was he?" Kate asked, taking off her coat and heels.

"He was a perfect angel."

"I'm going to go see him." Kate said, heading upstairs to the nursery.

She quietly opened the door, the light from the hallway filling the darkened room. She approached the crib and saw that Finn was awake.  
"Hi Sweet Pea." She brushed the little boy's brown hair back with her hand. "I missed you tonight."

Finn kicked his legs in the air and Kate smiled contently.

"How's our boy?" Castle asked from the doorway as he made his way to stand behind Kate, encircling her in his arms.

"God Castle. I just love him so much. I didn't think it was possible to love someone so much. He's absolutely perfect."

Castle kissed her jaw. "Of course he is perfect; you are his mother after all."

Kate turned in his arms, cuddling into his side as they stared down at their son. "Thank you Rick for giving me the world."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! I was going through old Facebook posts of mine and saw something I posted that inspired this fic. I'll post the link in my profile. I'm also working on getting more one-shots done for my fic "The Exes" and then a multi-chapter fic that I've been working on for a few months.**

"But Momma I want to go with you and Gabe!" Little Willa cried, hanging on to her mother's arm to prevent her from leaving.

Kate kneeled in front of her daughter, "Wills, you and I will have a girl's night real soon, but Gabe wanted to take me on a date. I'm sure your Daddy will love to have one of his favorite girls spend the day with him."

"But I wanna go with you!"

Kate noticed her husband sneaking up on their daughter, but kept a straight face as she talked with Willa. Rick quickly scooped the four year old into his arms and snuffled her neck making pig-like sounds to make the girl laugh.

"Daddy! Stop!" Willa screeched with glee.

"Come on, Sweet Pea. You and I will watch hours of Star Wars!" Rick said, throwing the girl over his shoulder and heading toward the TV.

"Bye you two! I love you!" Kate called as she grabbed Gabe's hand. She heard her husband and daughter shout their love back as she shut the front door to the loft.

Kate and Gabe hopped in a cab to head to their first destination. Kate put her arm around her son and drew him close to her side.

"I saved up enough money to take you to Remy's, then we can have ice cream and then we'll go to a movie!" Gabe exclaimed as he held his blue Velcro wallet in his hand.

"You are such a sweet boy. I love you so much." Kate ran her fingers through his light brown hair then leaned over and kissed the crown of his head.

Following their dinner and dessert, Kate and Gabe entered the lobby of the discount movie theater. Gabe purchased two tickets and handed one to his mother.

"I'm going to buy us some popcorn, Momma." Gabe stated as he approached the snack counter.

"How can I help you, young man?" The young female concessions clerk asked.

"I have sixteen dollars and I'd like to buy some snacks, please."

"Sixteen dollars is a great amount! Let's see what we can get for you."

"May I have a water, please?" Gabe asked politely.

The clerk leaned over the counter as if she had a big secret to tell Gabe. "I'll let you in on something, I can sell you a cup for fifty cents and you can refill it with water as much as you want."

Gabe smiled and as he counted his money on the counter said, "Thank you, ma'am for the suggestion about the cup!"

Kate stood a few paces behind her son watching the exchange between him and the clerk as she tried to hide a smile that was spreading across her face.

"You're very welcome, young man! What else may I get you?"

Gabe turns to the candy display and explains, "I am taking my mom on a date today. I already took her to dinner at Remy's, then we got ice cream, and now I'm taking her to a movie! I have to treat her right."

The clerk quickly glanced at Kate with a smile before looking back at Gabe. "You are a wonderful son and a very polite young man!"

"I love my mom. She's the best! Daddy says she is a superhero because she is a police officer. I'm glad she's my mom."

"I'm sure your mom is glad you are her son." The clerk rang up Gabe's order as another employee prepared the small popcorn he had already asked for. "Here you go, young man. Here is your popcorn, your cup and your candy. Your total will be eight dollars."

Gabe scrunches his eyebrows in slight confusion, but pulls out a ten dollar bill and hands it to the woman.

"Ma'am? Can you keep the change for yourself as a tip?" Gabe asked.

The clerk smiled warmly, completely amazed by the boy in front of her. "Thank you; it was a pleasure helping such a polite young man!"

Gabe gathered up the snacks as Kate approached him from behind. When he wasn't looking, Kate slipped a twenty dollar bill on the concessions counter and winked at the clerk before taking her son's hand for the rest of their date.

**Tumblr: MonaLyssa33**

**Twitter/Instagram: AlyssaWriting**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I got this prompt from Tumblr and I have already posted it there, but I thought I'd post it here too.**

Kate was sitting at her desk poring over some files for their current case. She mouthed the words as she read them while she tapped a pen lightly against her temple. Finishing one of the pages, she glanced at her watch realizing her husband went to get her another cup of coffee from the break room nearly ten minutes ago.

Kate strolled over to the break room, but before she stepped inside, she heard her husband talking with Ryan and Espo.

"How is your marriage to Beckett different than your first two marriages?" Espo asked.

Curiosity got the best of Kate, so she crossed her arms over her chest, leaned against the wall near the entrance and tipped her head to hear better. She heard the sound of the espresso machine and coffee mugs being clattered together before her husband answered.

"It's a lot different. With Meredith we got married because of Alexis. We were both young and didn't have a clue how hard marriage was going to be. It fell apart when Meredith cheated on me with her director. When I found out, I wasn't even that angry. I felt a little relieved, like I finally had a good enough reason to give up on the marriage.

"When I married Gina, I loved her, but I wasn't _in_ love with her. I didn't realize how important the addition of that two letter word was until after we got married. The whole thing felt more like a business arrangement than an actual marriage. I thought having someone to come home to every night was what I desired, but I needed something more.

"I have only actually been in love twice in my life. The first was Kyra and that obviously didn't work out. The difference between Kyra and Kate though is significant. Before Kyra left New York, I was so concerned about being abandoned by her that I didn't even think about the reasons why she was leaving. I was focused solely on myself. I didn't care about her needs, I only cared about mine. When it comes to Kate, if she told me that her life would be better off without me in it, I would fight for her no doubt, but if I realized that there was no way I could change her mind, I would let her go. Don't think it wouldn't kill me though. I love Kate so much that I would let her go if that was in her best interests.

"So to answer your question, the reason mine and Kate's marriage is different is because she is the last person I want to see before I go to sleep at night and the first person I want to see when I wake. Some mornings I find myself lying next to her, face-to-face, and I can't stop myself from touching her cheek. A few times she's woken up while I am doing this and she pops her eyes open to meet mine and her face lights up with this sleepy smile. You don't know true beauty until you are looking into the eyes of the love of your life as their gaze focuses on you. Besides Alexis, Kate is the best thing that has ever come into my life."

Kate let out a staggered breath that she didn't know was trapped in her chest. Her heart was floating like a balloon. She peeked into the room where she saw Castle resting against the counter with a mug of coffee in his hand and the boys leaning on the table across from him.

"Wow Castle, you are about as whipped as Honey Milk over here." Espo said frankly, jerking his thumb in Ryan's direction.

"Har, har. You could be as happy as we are if you gave a girl a chance." Castle said.

Kate hesitantly stepped into the break room before Espo could give a response back.

"Well if it isn't Mrs. Castle." Espo teased. "Come on Ryan, we should get some work done."

"Hey Honey," Castle greeted, placing the coffee on the counter nearby as the boys departed the now too busy break room. "Sorry I took so long with the coffee. I wa…"

Castle was silenced by Kate's lips firmly against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they deepened the kiss.

"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining or anything." Castle asked, breathlessly when they separated.

"Just needed to show the love of my life how much I adore him." Kate stated as she played with the hairs on the back of his neck.

"I suppose you heard that whole spiel I gave to the boys." Kate nodded. "I meant every word of it." He affirmed.

"Just for the record, my life is infinitely better because of you, so I will never let you go."

Castle smiled at his wife and leaned in to kiss her again. "I love you, Kate."

**Twitter: AlyssaWriting  
Tumblr: MonaLyssa33**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wrote this real quick at 4 AM today. I'm hoping to get more writing done in the next few weeks since the semester is over.**

"So how are you going to pop the question? Hot air balloon? Skywriter? Jumbo-tron?" Castle prodded Ryan after he revealed the engagement ring he planned on presenting to Jenny.

"Uh, I thought I'd just ask." Ryan said despairingly at the thought that his proposal wasn't good enough.

"No, no. You can't 'just ask.' You've got to make a statement. It has to be big! A helicopter ride!" Castle exclaimed.

A curious and eavesdropping Kate approached the pair with her own advice, "Actually, most girls prefer something a little more intimate." She gave Castle a small, smug smirk.

Castle was astonished at the dullness of such a proposal. "What, so he's just supposed to be boring and ask, 'will you marry me?'"

Kate quirked an eyebrow and gave Castle a flicker of provocation. Castle's jaw went slack as the underlying vibe Kate was giving him surprised and excited something within him.

Kate smiled softly, as she brushed away a strand of hair with her gloved hand. "I'd say yes to that."

Ryan snatched the ring from Castle, snapping the lid closed before getting back to work.

Kate's gaze fell to the surrounding alley, scared to meet Castle's eyes. Assuming he was no longer looking at her, she glanced up only to meet his startling blue gaze that made her insides flip like they were on a trampoline. She swallowed hard, realizing she was in deep just by looking into his eyes.

"Kate…"

"Guys, we have a body over here. Are you going to join us?" Espo called, as Kate and Castle broke their trance.

Kate cleared her throat and turned to focus on her task.

* * *

After reviewing the crime scene, Kate and Castle hopped into her cruiser to go back to the precinct. The tension in the tiny, enclosed space felt like they were drowning and running out of air. Kate hadn't even started the car yet, they just sat in their seats trying to control their breathing.

"Would your answer have…." Castle began.

Kate turned her head quickly toward him, her eyes wide, willing him to say what she was hoping. "Would my answer be what?" Kate encouraged him.

"If I really had asked you, would your answer have…"

"Yes." Kate interrupted him.

"What?" Castle muttered in surprise.

"It's crazy, I know. We've never even been on a date. We've never even kissed, but my answer would still be yes." Kate had turned in her seat to face Castle as much as possible and grabbed his left hand with both of hers.

"Kate, I love you." Rick blurted before he realized it. His eyes grew in fear.

Kate beamed with joy as she brought her hand to cup his jaw. She glanced down at his lips and back to his eyes. "I love you, too" she whispered.

The space between them shrunk as they each leaned forward, capturing the other's lips with their own. Their hearts leapt and pounded against their ribs. A crescendo of music didn't suddenly happen like in the movies when two lovers first kiss, but the buzzing of their bodies in ecstasy was like a music that only they could feel.

"I'm really going to get you a ring and someday soon, I'm going to give it to you." Castle admitted as they broke apart, gazing into each other's eyes.

Kate grinned with joy. "I can't wait."

**Twitter: AlyssaWriting  
Tumblr: MonaLyssa33**


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt: Rick brings home two little kittens one for their little girl and one for Kate.**

I decided to base these two kittens on my baby Willie and her sister Lilli (who passed away nearly 3 years ago). I have a picture on my Tumblr of what they looked like as kittens. (If you follow my Tumblr, then you might know that Willie is the one with white paws and chest).

When Rick left for his meeting at Black Pawn that morning, he would have never anticipated that he'd arrive home with two additions to the Castle family. The meeting went as well as he could have expected. He got a lecture about getting his latest manuscript in on time, but with his wife pregnant and a 3 year old running around, there were more pressing matters for him to focus on. Kate was nearing in on her due date and although when she was pregnant with their daughter she worked up to the day she delivered, this time around, she didn't particularly want to be working on paperwork when she could be spending time with her little Vivienne before their son arrived.

As Rick approached the front door of the loft, he could hear Vivie squealing with delight and his wife laughing along. With two warm balls of fluff in his arms, he breathed in deep, hoping the introduction would go over well with his wife. He cracked the door open and peeked inside to find Kate tickling Vivie on the living room couch.

Rick cleared his throat hoping to get Kate's attention without letting Vivie see what he was holding in case Kate did not approve.

Kate looked up and grinned when she saw her husband. "Hey baby, look who's here!" she said to Vivie.

"Wait, Kate, I have something I need to show you first." Rick cautioned as he nudged his head in the direction of the hallway where most of his body still was.

"Stay here Vivie, I'll be back in just a second." Kate said to her daughter before turning back to her husband with a terse glare. "What did you do, Rick?"

"Just come here."

Kate stepped into the hallway and Rick revealed what he was holding. Kate's eyes widened when she saw the two kittens. "Castle! What the hell?!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Kate, hear me out. I was on my way home when I saw these two babies huddled in a wet paper bag trying to keep warm. I couldn't just leave them there. I know I didn't consult you first, but Vivie is going to love them!"

"That is if I let them in our house!" Kate was angry.

"Kate, just hold one. I'm sure you will fall in love." Rick smiled hesitantly, hoping his wife would cave as he held out the brown and black tabby with the white paws.

Kate took the kitten as it mewed pathetically looking at her with bright yellow-green eyes. Kate smiled despite herself, drawing the cat to her chest as it began to purr.

"What do you say, Kate?" Rick asked expectantly.

"Momma! Wass going on?" Vivie called, as she peered out the open front door at her parents.

Kate slightly panicked, not wanting her daughter to see the kittens until she had made her decision, knowing once Vivie saw the cats, they were staying.

"Are those kitties, Momma!" Vivie squealed. "Do we getta keep them?" She started jumping excitedly in front of her mother.

Kate glared at Rick once more, before kneeling in front of Vivie to show her the tiny kitten. "Be gentle, Baby. The kitten is very tiny." Kate told Vivie as she continued to hold the kitten to her chest to make it feel safe.

"Whassit's name?"

"We're going to have to figure that out, Sweet Pea." Kate said. "What do you think the kitty's name should be?"

"Sam!" Vivie exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement.

"No, Baby. We can't name the kitty the same name as your brother."

"Can that one be Sam?" Vivie pointed to the furry gray kitten in Rick's hands.

Rick kneeled down beside his wife and daughter. "Vivie, what do you think of the name Willow for the one Mommy's holding?"

"Like Gwama Willow from 'Hontas?"

"Yeah from Pocahontas." Rick confirmed.

Vivie put her finger to her chin and looked to the ceiling like she was concentrating really hard. "Okay, Dada! Tis is Willow."

"How about for Daddy's kitten we name him Toulouse?" Kate asked, pulling a random name out of the air.

"I want Sam, Momma!"

"Sweetie, Sam is your brother's name and we can't have two Sams in the house because it will confuse everyone." Kate reaffirmed.

Vivie gave a look of disappointment.

"Can we name him Toulouse?" Kate asked for confirmation.

"Okay, Momma." Vivie finally agreed, although not very happily.

Rick stood up straight, then grabbed Kate's arm to help her up as well. "Thanks, Babe. I probably would have been stuck there." Kate said, without a hint of humor.

"Vivie, do you want to go with me to pick up some supplies for the kitties while Mommy stays here with them?" Rick asked.

"I wanna stay with the kitties!"

"I've been replaced by two balls of fluff." Rick said, dejectedly. "Well, here's little Toulouse and you two have fun bonding with them." Rick handed the gray kitten off to Kate, then leaned in for a kiss. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Bye Babe!" Kate called to her husband. "Come on Baby, let's go play with them." Kate led her daughter back into the loft where Vivie excitedly waited to finally hold one.

Willie's "formal" name is Willow, but everyone calls her Willie and I decided to change Lilli's name to Toulouse, so don't tell my sister for whom belonged to Lilli. ;-) Willie will soon be turning 15, so I thought I'd throw that in there too because I'm obsessed with my cat and all.

Twitter: AlyssaWriting  
Tumblr: MonaLyssa33


	6. Chapter 6

**This is probably a little exaggerated, as I've only had a few panic attacks in my life, so the description of them is probably off.**

_Prompt: In The Limey, Beckett was already nervous, because she was about to tell Castle how she feels, and when he shows up with Jacinda, she has a panic attack. (Castle sees)._

Kate and Lanie got out of the car and approached the crime scene. Kate felt on edge from the direction their conversation was heading before the call from dispatch came in.

"Don't think you were saved by the bell, Kate Beckett. As your friend, I am not going to let this drop." Lanie lectured.

Kate sucked in a ragged breath and asked the question she already knew the answer to, "So what? Do you think I should tell him how I feel?"

"Yes! You hunt murderers for a living, you can do this."

"Okay, I just have to find the right time." Kate conceded.

"No time like the present." Lanie encouraged with a knowing grin.

The shrill squeal of high-end tires and the roar of a high-performance foreign engine had Kate and Lanie watching as Castle pulled up in his Ferrari with a blonde in the passenger seat.

Kate's heart stuttered in her chest as the devastating realization hit her. She was too late. The only person she couldn't live without had moved on because she was too scared to face her feelings. Kate fell back a step and bent over at her waist like a cannonball was shot into her stomach. Her breathing became labored as she tried to say something. An invisible force grabbed her by the throat as her words clogged her esophagus and filled her chest cavity like a kinked cartoon garden hose with water backing up and a large bulge forming in the green tube. Kate was kneeling in the dirt when she heard the distant voice of her best friend trying to get her to focus and breathe, but it felt as if she was viewing the world in a giant bubble, almost like another dimension. She tried to speak, tried to push the words through the tiny gap the invisible force had spared her to breathe. Only syllables escaped the little air hole as she muttered incoherently.

"Kate! Can you hear me?" Lanie shouted, holding Kate's head between her hands. "Kate, I need you to breathe. Just in and out. In and out."

Having heard the commotion, Castle was watching in horror as the woman he could never stop loving came undone.

"Kate sweetie, I'm going to have you get up on this stretcher and lie down for a bit. Castle is going to take your hand while I go talk to Javi." Lanie instructed.

Kate was shaking from the after effects of the adrenaline that was rushing through her veins when she stood up. Lanie helped her up on the stretcher and pointed for Castle to stay by her side while she ran off to Esposito.

Kate had her eyes pinched shut with tears streaming down her face. Castle grabbed Kate's hand in both of his, hoping to calm her.

"Lanie!" she cried out, not realizing it was Castle beside her. "Lanie, I lost him. He's moved on and he'll never know that I'm in love with him!"

Castle's eyes were wide in response to Kate's revelation. He struggled to use his voice before finally gasping, "Kate…"

"Lanie, I love him and I'm too late." Kate continued to ramble.

Castle let go of her hand, grasped her face between his palms and rested his forehead against hers. "Kate, I'm sorry. Kate, I need you to focus on me. I love you, Kate. I could never move on from you." Castle brushed his thumbs over her cheeks, hoping the motion would soothe her.

Kate's breathing started to become more controlled and she blinked her eyes repeatedly to try and focus on the world again. Castle was still standing over her, but his head now rested against her cheek instead of her forehead.

"Kate, it's okay. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Kate." Castle whispered into her ear.

Kate turned to face him and brought her hand up to stroke the side of his face. "Rick? I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I love you."

Lanie approached the pair and gently informed Kate that Espo and Ryan were going to take over the case so she could go home.

Castle helped Kate sit up and led her to the passenger seat of her cruiser.  
"Thank you, Castle." Kate said when Rick got into the driver's seat.

Castle took her hand and said, "Always."

**Tumblr: MonaLyssa33**  
**Twitter: AlyssaWriting**


	7. Chapter 7

_Prompt: Kate sends a selfie to Maddie from the Maternity Ward with her first born with the message "You were right about making little Castle babies."_

With her husband passed out in a chair next to her bed, Kate held tight to the little bundle in her arms, wrapped like it was the most precious gift in the world and to her and Castle it was. She ran the tip of her thumb over the soft, pink skin of her son's cheek. He reflexively turned his head in the direction of her hand and opened his tiny mouth.

"My sweet Nik, you have no idea how long I've waited for you. I dreamed of you before I knew your daddy, but never thought I'd actually get to meet you. Your grandma would have adored you, I am certain of that." Kate gazed at the tiny human in her arms, completely in awe of him and how much she loved and cherished someone after only knowing them for a few hours. "Maddie was right. I really did want to make little Castle babies. I have you as proof." Kate smiled for the millionth time that day.

Kate took a peek at her sleeping husband and saw her phone sitting on the night stand nearby. She had an idea after mentioning Maddie. Taking her phone, she held it above her and Nikolai and smiled brightly, ensuring Castle could be seen in the background, then snapped the photo. She set Nik on the bed between her legs and quickly added a message on the picture and sent it to Maddie. She focused her attention back on her son who started to fuss, she assumed out of hunger.

Castle stirred at the sound of Nik's crying. "Is he okay?" he asked sleepily.

"I think he's just hungry, Babe." Kate said, getting herself ready to feed Nik. Once Nik latched, her phone beeped informing them that there was a new message.

Castle unlocked the phone and smirked at what he saw, a picture of his wife grinning while holding their son and a message that said, "You were right about making little Castle babies." He cleared his throat to get his wife's attention. "Maddie says she finally proved you wrong," he said, waving the phone in the air.

Kate looked up from Nik, "You have no idea how glad I am that she was right."

**Tumblr: MonaLyssa33  
Twitter: AlyssaWriting**


	8. Chapter 8

**Tumblr Prompt: Character A goes to the gym to impress the character B, but B doesn't know it's for him/her and thinks it's for someone else. Jealousy appears and they realize their feelings**

After a long case, Castle invited the entire gang out to the Old Haunt to unwind. While Kate and Lanie sat next to each other in the group's designated corner booth, Castle sat across from them so he had a better view of the detective. While Castle attempted to keep up with the conversation he seemed to be involved in with Espo and Ryan, he couldn't stop admiring Kate. Unfortunately for him, one of the nearby fire stations had a group of their firefighters enjoying an after work drink as well. Kate and Lanie giggled and whispered to each other as they ogled the "hot specimens" on their radar. Castle's smiled sadly as he watched his partner fawning over guys who were not him. He eyed the able-bodied men and self-consciously scrutinized his own appearance. Richard Castle was not a man who lacked confidence, but when faced with his belief that the woman he was madly in love with wasn't physically attracted to him, his assurance wavered.

Arriving home later that night, Castle hopped on his laptop and started researching gyms and personal trainers in the area. Maybe Kate would be impressed if he looked more fit. He had gained a little weight over the years, but it wasn't excessive.

Castle signed up for a personal trainer and started working with her five times a week and often left the precinct early to get to the gym. While his trainer, Jules was gorgeous and seemingly interested in him, he thwarted all of her advances, focusing solely on getting fit to get the girl he really wanted, who seemed to be noticing his absences from the precinct.

* * *

One afternoon while in the break room, Kate asked, "Is everything okay with you, Castle? I've noticed you've been leaving early nearly every day."

"Everything is great! I have, I guess you could say been working on a 'side project' with someone, so I've had to leave early since she's only available certain times."

"Oh, so you're seeing a woman?" Kate's voice faltered and she had difficulty looking him in the eye.

"Yeah, she's a personal trainer. She's really great and she's opened my eyes to things I never really viewed as all that important."

Kate swallowed hard and fiddled with the disposable cup in her hands before asking, "is she your girlfriend?"

"What? No! She's my personal trainer. I've been trying to get fit so I can…" Castle stopped himself before he said too much.

Kate finally looked up, "Why do you need to get fit?"

Castle sighed and admitted, "I was trying to…I was trying to impress you."

Kate's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. "Why would you think that you'd need to impress me?"

"I saw the way you admired those firemen at the bar and I…"

"Rick," Kate interrupted, reaching out to take Castle's hand, "yes those men were attractive, but they aren't who I'm in love with."

Castle startled, "are you talking about me?"

Kate smiled confidently, "of course I'm talking about you, you goof!"

Castle grinned and jumped from the chair to stand in front of Kate. He cupped her cheek with his palm and drew her in for a kiss. "I love you, Kate" he said meeting her eyes after breaking the kiss

"I love you, too." Kate stroked her thumb over his ear and asked suggestively, "Did you want to come over tonight and maybe show me some of your newly gained assets?"

Castle smirked and responded, "Oh, definitely" before kissing her again.

**Twitter: AlyssaWriting**  
**Tumblr: MonaLyssa33**


	9. Chapter 9

**I got this prompt from Tumblr.**

_**Prompt:** Well it's middle of the night here and I had this idea in my head I just couldn't go to bed before asking' could u please write a one shot (or more) ; they get together after the events in Always|After the Storm or Knockout|Rise and Kate decides on stop being a detective and start live their lives and have a family they deciding on starting their family together. (she quits the 12th and she's proud of it (of her decision)) would like to read abt them making the decision and telling their friends_

They lie next to each other, both with dreamy, euphoric grins on their faces as they stare into each other's eyes. Castle needs to keep touching her in some way, so for the moment he's settled on stroking his fingers through her loose hair. Kate never imagined she could be this happy after everything that has happened to her in the last 13 years, not to mention the last 24 hours. She quit her job, the most important thing in her life until the man in front of her, the one who looked at her like she hung the moon, forced his way into her precinct. He doesn't know that she is now unemployed and that she gave it all up for him.

"I quit," she accidentally blurts, wanting to reveal that tidbit later.

"What?" he lifts his head from the pillow.

"I quit my job," she admits in a breath.

"Why?"

"I realized it wasn't what mattered in my life. I want justice for my mom and I always will, but I know that if she could speak with me she'd be saying, 'Katie, you can't stop living your life because I'm no longer here.' My mom would want me to be happy. She'd want me to start living for the future and stop dwelling on the past. As I was hanging off that roof last night, all I could think about was you and it hit me that I want to start living for a future with you."

Castle beamed with elation. Kate swore his smile alone was lightening the darkened room. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his. He whispered his love for her between each break of their connection.

"I love you too, Rick," she said breathlessly.

"Marry me," Castle utters spontaneously, causing Kate to pull away in shock.

"What?"

Castle comes out of his haze and stutters, "Oh Kate, uh…I didn't…I…"

Kate shushes him. "Castle, I want to marry you, so much so that it scares me. I want that for us, but somewhere in the future. I don't know if that would be a year from now or even longer. I want you to know that I am on the same page. I will marry you, it just won't be immediately."

"I can live with that," Castle smirks.

When the morning comes, Kate gets up to make her and Castle some coffee. As she pads back into his bedroom, she notices him sitting up in bed with a sleepy smile on his face.

"Hey sleepyhead," she greets, stopping by his side of the bed to deliver a mug of coffee, sneaking in a quick kiss before walking to her side of the bed. She sets her coffee on the nightstand and starts to get back under the covers when she notices a small black box sitting on her pillow. "Rick, what is this?"

"I know you said you would marry me, but not for a while, so I thought I'd give you this to know how serious I am about my proposition." Castle sipped nonchalantly from his coffee.

Kate popped open the box and there sat a beautiful diamond engagement ring. "Where did you get this? We only talked about this a couple of hours ago…"

"I've had it for at least a year now. I always knew I was going to ask you to marry me at some point, I just had to wait for the right moment. There were times I was sure I was being a fool for having that, but you make me do crazy things, Kate Beckett." Castle smiled at her expectantly having put his coffee on his nightstand.

"You got this when I was in relationship with someone else?" she asked.

"I probably would have gotten it the first week I met you, but I thought that would be a little presumptuous." Castle smirked and held out his hand for her to join him in bed.

"Rick, I don't know what to say … I …"

"I'm not asking you to wear it right this second or even months from now, but keep it so you know I'm in this 100%."

Kate leaned over in the bed and drew him into a kiss. "I love you, Richard Castle," she murmured against his lips before settling into the mattress beside him. She stared down at the ring again, pulled it from its pillowed home and slipped it on her left ring finger. "I want you to know I'm in this 100% too."

Kate and Castle discussed revealing their relationship to their family and friends and decided upon having everyone over for a small get-together. As their friends arrived, Kate tried to hide the giant, glimmering rock on her finger. Lanie was already suspicious by Kate's ease at being in Castle's loft and moving around his kitchen like it was her home. The group gathered around the table and dished up their meal when Castle requested to make an announcement.

"I've brought you all here because I have a very important announcement that I wished to share with you. Since our dear Detective Beckett has decided to take a break from her crime solving days for the time being, I thought it was time that I too make a new change for myself. So I am very pleased to announce that I am getting married."

Everyone had a look of surprise on their faces, but Martha piped up with a disapproving comment. "Richard, I do hope you didn't actually get a mail-order bride."

Kate took that as her cue to stand and make an announcement as well. "I have something I'd like to say as well. I know everyone has been expecting me to look into getting back with the NYPD, and I would love to do that someday, but for now I plan to put that part of my life away and focus on living for the future. So I too am very pleased to announce that I am also getting married."

"Katie, are you and Rick engaged?" her father asked when Kate took her seat again.

She smirked, looked over at Castle with a loving gaze and grasped his hand with hers on top of the dining table. "Yeah, we are getting married. But it probably won't be for some time. We both know that we want this though."

The surprised faces from their family and friends quickly turned to looks of glee as they all agreed it was about damn time for those two to get their act together. While Castle and Kate received hugs from their loved ones, the couple couldn't stop the images that came to both of their minds of family dinners like this for years to come.

**Tumblr: MonaLyssa33  
Twitter: AlyssaWriting**


	10. Chapter 10

**I got this prompt request on Tumblr and felt the desire to write it tonight, "we had a one night stand last night and today you appear at my parents conference because your kid is in my class caskett au." This chapter is a high T rating and it is the closest I have ever gotten to writing smut, so this is new territory for me.**

Slinking around the unfamiliar bedroom, Kate hunted down her missing clothing. She wasn't sure where her right black heel had gone, but she vaguely recalls a heated make out session in the kitchen. She peered around corners, hoping to not run into anyone in the loft. Her late night bedfellow had mentioned a daughter while they threw back shots of tequila at a nearby bar, but she wasn't sure if said daughter was in the apartment or not. Kate crept toward the kitchen and spotted the four inch heels of her Manolos stuck in the toaster. What the hell did they do last night? Grabbing her shoes and heading for the door, she rushed out of the loft and into the elevator that took her to the building entrance where she hoped the cab would be waiting. Rebel Becks might have had one night stands, but Miss Beckett, third grade teacher should know better than to do such a thing, especially on a school night.

Rick Castle woke to a pounding headache. Tequila always left him feeling like he'd been bashed over the head with the bottle instead of drinking the contents. He moaned in agony as he rolled from his back to his stomach, burying his head in the other pillow. The sweet scent of perfume lingered in the fibers of the pillowcase and he was hit with the memories of what he had done the night before. Kate. They talked for hours before drunkenly falling into his bed around one in the morning. The memory of her face seemed foggy, but the scent emanating from the pillow was bringing her profile into focus. She was beautiful. Her hazel eyes sparkled with lust and he knew he would never tire of looking into them. The side of the bed Kate slept on was cool, proving she had left long ago. In the after-haze of ecstasy and exhaustion, he slipped into unconsciousness before getting her phone number and he was more than disappointed about that.

Rick heard the clattering of dishes coming from his kitchen and the loud, hard clinks drilled into his head like nails. Hangovers were hell. Groaning, he trudged out to the living room to request the noisy offender keep it down.

"Hello Darling!" his mother greeted.

Rick winced as her sharp pitched voice clanged around in his head. "Mother, can you keep it down?"

"Richard, you are a grown man with an eight year old child. You should not be waltzing in here early in the morning like you have no responsibilities. What if Alexis had needed you in the middle of the night or what if the poor girl you had in your bed had run into her?"

"Mother, please. Not now." Rick took a seat on a stool and draped himself over the kitchen counter, hiding his face from any light.

"Okay fine. You should eat something though. It will help you feel better. I can make you some toast if you'd like."

Rick's face flushed as the memory of him and Kate devouring each other against the counter popped into his head. He remembered he put her heels in the toaster and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why that seemed logical at the time.

"I think I'll pass for now," he mumbled. "Did Alexis leave for school already?"

"Yes and she told me to remind you that school conferences are tonight and she will be very disappointed if you skip out."

Rick groaned again as he started planning ways to alleviate the hangover before the early evening meeting with his daughter's teacher.

* * *

Kate Beckett wished she had called in sick. Kids are loud, that is a given, but when nursing a hangover after a night of drinking potent tequila, every little noise sounded like a crashing cymbal beside her head. She popped painkillers throughout the day and drank as much water as she could stand and by the time four o'clock rolled around, she felt a little more like herself. It would have been humiliating meeting parents of her students with evidence of her night out written across her face. As she sat at her desk waiting for her first parent to show up, her mind drifted to her late night escapade. As Rick laid on top of her, moving inside her, he worked his mouth against her lips, trailing down her jaw and her neck. He pulled away and his shining blue eyes gazed into hers. Heat pooled in her belly as he called her name.

"Kate?"

She startled when she realized there was someone now in her classroom and felt like she had been thrown overboard in the Arctic Ocean when she realized the man standing before her was Rick, her one night stand.

"Shit," she muttered, her eyes wide and fearful. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm Alexis's father," he explained hesitantly.

Kate covered her face with her hands as she mumbled, "I can't believe this is happening. This is a disaster." She fought back a wave of tears. She had royally screwed up. She slept with the parent of one of her students. There had to be rules about that, right?

"Kate, it's fine," Rick attempted to calm her down, by taking a seat across from her and leaning over her desk.

"No it is not!" Kate hissed, revealing her face again and leaning forward more. "This is a horribly unethical situation!"

"We didn't do anything wrong, Kate. We are both mature, single adults who spent a night together. It doesn't have to be the end of the world," Rick explained.

"Can you imagine how awkward this is going to be from now on?"

"It doesn't have to be," Rick proposed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Go on a date with me. We can see where this goes. If it doesn't work out, I am willing to put aside our brief history for the sake of my daughter's education. Plus, I really wanted to see you again. Maybe this is the universe intervening."

"The universe is conspiring to get us together?" Kate asked skeptically.

"It could be. How about I leave you my business card and if you would like to talk more, you can call me, if not, no hard feelings." Rick pulled out his card and stood from his chair to leave.

"What about the conference?"

Rick turned, meeting her eyes and smirked, "Umm, briefly sum up what you were going to say."

"Your daughter is wonderful," Kate spoke honestly, getting transfixed by Rick's gaze.

Rick smiled genuinely and started moving toward the door. "Then that's all I need to know. I hope to hear from you soon, Kate."

He winked as Kate gaped back at him. When he disappeared out the door, a small grin spread across her face and she pocketed the business card for its use after conferences.

**Tumblr: MonaLyssa33  
Twitter: AlyssaWriting**


End file.
